Category Archives: Dyeing

Fiber shows, Fiber Festivals and a New Fiber!

I’ve been swimming in fiber this past month and it has been a blast.   It’s been fun, but I realized that I need to set aside time in my schedule to blog!  Once again it is a game of catch up….Here is what I have been up to lately….

Early April I was invited to bring my fiber and yarn back to Yarntastic!, for the Yarn Train weekend.  The train brings a hundred plus  knitters from the Seattle area to Portland to yarn shop hop.  It was nice to chat with so many enthusiastic knitters and even some spinners too.  When ever I am out with my yarns I am always spinning.  This was the first time that I did not spin.  I had knitting that needed finishing and mini skeins that needed tying and tagging.   It was a really strange feeling to be out in public with out Miss Mini, but it did give me a chance to show off our needles in action.  Someday I am going to figure out how to spin and knit at the same time……. Don’t laugh I’ve done crazier things in the past 🙂  I was so caught up in my knitting that I forgot to take pictures at Yarntastic! but here  is a shot of the mini skeins drying.

New Hue Handspuns Minis
Many Minis

Once I was back home from Yarntastic! It was time to start prepping fiber for Columbia Gorge Fiber Festival.  I ordered up fiber, and started dying like crazy.  Over 20 pounds of fiber hand painted in 3 days. Weighing out and rolling the fiber took most of one day!  Check out the racks of drying fiber.

New Hue Handspuns fiber
Baa Baa Huey and Bam Huey Drying

here’s another pile of fiber that is dry and waiting to be packaged.

New Hue Handspun fiber
Sure wish fiber would bag itself…lol

Before I knew it, it was time to start packing up for CGFF.  We managed to get almost everything in the truck, but the new display tree did have to ride on top.

New Hue Handspuns on the road
Packed Puppy Truck

As usual I didn’t get all the fiber packaged before the show, but I always find time to finish rolling the fiber after I set up my booth.  For the past 2 years I have shared a booth with the Jenkins and their beautiful Turkish Spindles, but they were not able to make it this year.   Ed and Wanda are great fun to hang out with at the shows, so it was a little lonely not having them there.  I did love spreading out and filling a whole booth, and once the show opened I didn’t have time to be lonely 🙂  I had wonderfully fun new neighbors to chat with at my new booth.

New Hue Handspuns at CGFF
The Garden Room

I had an excellent new location right at the front doors next to the info booth.  The windows are great for lighting up the lace shawls but played havoc with my camera flash. It really wasn’t that yellowish in the room.  I have always used a garden theme for my displays, from my  shawl flowers to the yarn hanging on the garden fences.  I don’t have a green thumb for a regular garden, but in my fiber garden I grow yarns of many colors.  This year I added a tree to the garden.

New Hue Handspuns tree
Fiber, yarn and shawl Tree

There was also a plant stand and planters to show off small color work projects, seen on the right side of the picture.

New Hue Handspuns garden room
Garden fence and new plant stand at CGFF

The new fountain display flowing with mini skeins of handspun yarn somehow missed getting in the pictures.  I will be sure to get a picture next show.

One of my favorite parts of vending at fiber shows is when people bring  their projects they have made from my fiber and handspun yarn.  Check out this beauty made from a skein of  handspun Baa Baa Huey Lace. BEAUTIFUL!!!

New Hue Handspuns Baa Baa Huey handspun lace
Handspun Baa Baa Huey lace gradient.

It was a fun show as always. A beautiful start to each morning, how is this for a room view!

New Hue Handspuns at the Gorge
Sunrise from the deck

The Columbia Gorge is a beautiful place and so close to home, makes me feel a little spoiled:)

Once I was unpacked and inventory done, it was then time to get moving on my new yarn line.   I’ve been knitting up samples of the new yarns.  Unfortunately I made a math mistake in figuring yardage.  This means I had to redo all my figures and resize the skeins, thus a delay in releasing the yarn.  BUT don’t fret, it will happen soon.  This weekend the new yarn will make it’s appearance and you will have a chance to snag some up at a VERY good price.   Details will be in my next posting on Friday.  Check back and see how you can be a part of the New Hue Handspuns New Line Launch Team.

Until next time,

Happy Spinning and Knitting,

Cheryl <^..^>

 

Water Lilies in Ravellenic Winter Games 2014

The Ravellenic Winter Games 2014 are in Day 6 now. I’m playing on Team Knitspot, and have made some progress.  I have 2 projects in the WIP Dancing event.  I’ve  added a few repeats to my Flamming Swan but my Blue Sugar Frosting is still awaiting some attention. What I have been working on is my Fleece to Finished Object game. I’m using my new colorway Water Lilies with Anne Hanson’s Hillflowers. I started by dyeing the Bam Huey Fiber with a new dyeing pattern I’ve been experimenting with.   The dyeing pattern needs a little more tweaking  to achieve the look I was going for, but I have to say I am pretty pleased with the results.

Bam Hueh spinning Fiber Water Lilies
Bam Huey in Water Lilies quick drying in front of the fire place.
Bam Huey Spinning Fiber
Water Lilies split into 16 strips ready for spinning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I spun up 2 skeins of the Water Lilies.  The first  I split the 3 oz roll of fiber length wise  into 16 strips and plied it against itself . I’m using this skein for the scarf.  The second skein I spun up in a heavy sport weight and plan to make a set of mitts to go with the scarf.  Here is the start of my  Water Lilies and Hillflowers.

Bam Huey Handspun Water Lilies
Water Lilies and Hillflowers

I’ve been finishing and testing  the first batch of our size 2 and 6 Newhouse Custom Carbon Fiber Needles .   We have had some rod issues and we have chosen to redo some of the needles.  Sorry that this has delayed shipping by a day or two, but we want your needles to be purrrrrrfect!

Mr X’s Sweater is in a time out.  The re-seaming is moving along slowly, hopefully I will get back to it in the next day or so and GET-ER-DONE!

I have another Trunk Show coming up at the end of February, and I will have all the details of that in my next post.Columbia Gorge Fiber Festival is looming. I’ve been making plans for that and will tell you about them soon.

Until next time,
Happy Spinning and Knitting!
Cheryl <^..^>

 

 

 

 

Knitting and Sitting in the New Year

 

I’m having a hard time believing that it is 2 weeks into the New Year.   I remember when a year seemed to take for ever, now I blink and a year has passed!  I’m going to have to kick it into high gear if I want to keep up!!!!   I haven’t shown my face here for the past few weeks, but I have been busy.  Let’s play catch up!

We left off with me doing a 10 pound hand painted fiber restocking over at New Hue Handspuns.  My web host gave me a bit of a scare by going off line for several hours, but fortunately it revived itself in time for me to get the listings all done and up just after midnight.  There is lots of fiber to choose from and I have been restocking the sold out colors as often as I can.  Gneiss Rock has been a big hit and I am trying to find some time to spin one up for myself! I want to do a two ply fractal spin with very short repeats.  I’m thinking of knitting it up in a very pebble like pattern.

Bam Huey by Cheryl Newhouse
Bam Huey Spinning Fiber in Gneiss Rock

More of the Gneiss Rock is being dyed this weekend and should be available in the store about Monday:)

After the fiber update and getting the shipping done I headed out to do some more farm sitting for Steve.  I started to come down with a cold the morning I left.  Sneezing and achy all I could think of was a nice hot bowl of chicken noodle soup.  Fortunate for me Steve did an excellent job of food shopping and I had every thing I needed to make up a nice big HOT pot of Chicken Noodle Soup:)

Home made chicken noodle soup
Home made Chicken Noodle Soup at Steve’s

I love spicy hot food especially when my sinuses are clogged.  I found a big bottle of hot sauce in the fridge and added a good quarter cup of it  to the soup, that and a fresh grind of pepper just before serving…..just what I needed to blow those sinuses right open and chase the cold away…well that and lots of orange juice.

I felt better after the soup, but didn’t have the energy to do much knitting while I was there.  I had Mr X’s sweater with me.  I only have 1 inch left to knit on the arms and then it is time to start seaming…… or screaming as the case may be for me.  I think I keep stalling on knitting  that last inch because I’m not too confident about my ability to seam. Here is the Sweater, waiting……..waiting……..waiting…. Better just bite the bullet and get-er-done!

Aztec Mazes Mr X's Sweater
Mr X’s Sweater parts waiting for seaming

I couldn’t completely give up knitting  while I was vegging in front of the TV, watching movie after movie.  When the Princess Lap Puppy allowed me, I knit on this….

New Hue Handspuns Hat
Handspun Hat ala Left overs

I always have left over bits of handspun yarn rolling around.  I rounded up a bag of them and decided that there was a hat some where in there.  I’m am knitting with  2 yarns at the same time, something I haven’t done in a project before. One yarn is Alpaca that I  spun up 17 years ago that is left over from a pair of socks. The other yarn is a Merino and Angora blend that has been hanging around for over 10 years.  This is going to be one WARM hat!  I’m making it up as I ago, but I’m liking the results so maybe I had better write it down now, before I forget what I did.  Don’t you hate that…. you think “oh I’ll remember that”……yeah right….better go get a pen and paper…

There was plenty of football watching during my stay .  The Seahawks manage to hold on to the win….had to start wondering about them at the end of the 4th quarter.  There were some knuckle biting tense moments  during the game, but I had set up plenty of munchies for my football party for one.

veggie tray
Football snack tray
snack tray
Cheese and Crunchy for football day

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m now back home and ready to play with fiber.  My wonderful needle making husband has just returned from picking up 10 pounds of Bam Huey fiber for me…..time to hit the dye tables.  I see Frog Ponds, Ancient Roses, Gneiss Rocks, and Carmels in my near future….

Until next time,  Happy Spinning and Knitting!

Cheryl <^..^>

Getting Ready for the New Year

The past month has been a little hectic.  I’ve been busy spinning, dyeing, baking, and playing catch up.  I decided to start the  New  Year off with a bang, and have a fiber fill in at New Hue Handspuns .  At 12:08 AM Pacific time New Year Day  I will push the button and 20 fiber listing will appear in the shop!  Seven are old favorites that are restocked at last and 13 colors that have never been listed on the website before!  Here is a peek at what has been going on in the dyeing /dinning room.

Bam Huey Fiber
Prepping for New Year’s Day Fiber Fill

The Drying /Sun room has been filled and the fiber is dried, waiting for packaging.

Bam Huey and Baa Baa Huey fiber
Fiber dyeing for the New Year Restocking.

The listings are ready to go live at 12:08 am, hopefully all will go smooth.  Hostmonster was off line for a few hours this morning sending me into a little panic….lol…ok not so little.  All seems to be well now, keeping my fingers crossed:)

The year is almost over and I am looking forward to brand new year.  True it is only a date  and a new calendar to hang on the wall, but for me it signals time to start new plans, to improve on old plans, and focus my energy on moving toward my goals.

Here is to a  Wonderful New Year for all of us!

Happy Spinning and Knitting,

Cheryl <^..^>

New Hue Handspuns/Newhouse Trunk Show 11/29

Our Trunk Show is almost here!  It will be at Yarntastic!  Friday November 29th through Thursday December 5th.  Stop by 6802 SE Milwaukie Ave. Portland, OR 97202 for a visit and some yarn/fiber petting:)   We will also have our Custom Carbon Fiber Needles available. Don’t miss this chance to do some test knitting with these light weight strong needles!

Newhouse Custom Carbon Fiber circular needles
Newhouse Custom Carbon Fiber Circular Needles
Newhouse Custom Carbon Fiber Needles DPNs and SPs
DPNs and SP Newhouse Custom Carbon FIber Needles

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a sample of my “show”.  For those of you who have found me at fiber shows this will look familiar.  Come by  Yarntastic and say hi!

New Hue Handspuns
New Hue Handspuns at Oregon Flock and Fiber

Unfortunately my shipment of dyes has been detained somewhere between Australia and Portland Oregon.  That means I won’t have as much dyed fiber available for the Trunk show as I would like, but don’t worry there will be plenty of fiber and I will take orders:)   I’ve been packaging up the fiber I dyed last week.  How many people have a dinning room table as colorful as this!?!

Bam Huey and Baa Baa Huey dyed fiber
Dye day results

I will be knitting and spinning away at Yarntastic! throughout the week.  I hope you will stop by!

Until next time,

Happy Spinning and Knitting,

Cheryl <^..^>

 

Dyeing Day at New Hue Handspuns

Bam Huey Ancient Roses
Dyeing Ancient Roses

Yes that is what I have been doing this week DYEING!!  My Trunk show is coming soon. Yarntastic!  will be hosting my trunk show November 29th through December 5th.  If you are in the Portland Oregon neighborhood, come on by.  Saturday  November 30th is Small business Saturday,  stop by Yarntastic! to say hi and support 2 small businesses in one stop!   I will have my  hand painted fibers, handspun yarns and our Newhouse Custom Carbon Fiber needles all on display .  There will even be  tester needles waiting for you to give them a trial run.  Just Add Knitter Kits will be available also….could be that purrrrfect gift for a knitter that needs a special treat for the holidays.

from fiber to steamer here is what my dyeing days are like

Bam Huey fiber dyeing to steamer
Fiber to Steamer

I will be dyeing more fiber all week.  My neck is already in pain, bending and reaching over the dyeing table isn’t going to help matters any, but the dyeing needs to be done, so dyeing I will do!!!

here is another style of dyeing.

handpainding Bam Huey in Carmel
Bam Huey Carmel Dyeing

I have plenty more fiber that needs color and I enjoy a good James Bond movie along with  a shaken martini, and a corny joke,so tomorrow I will pop in a movie, shake up a martini and…….. Dye another Day.

check in tomorrow:)

and until then, Happy Spinning and Knitting,

Cheryl <^..^>

 

 

 

 

My First Trunk Show!

My first Trunk Show is coming up right  here in Portland!  Next posting in just a few days I will have all the details.   I have done quite a few fiber shows over the years, but never a trunk show in a yarn shop.  Fiber shows always seem to have a high energy buzz about them, where every thing is go go go!!!  You have to move so fast from one person to the next  and there are so many faces that they blur together.  I’m not sure how the trunk show will go, but I’m expecting that it will be a bit more relaxed and that I can actually chat with people for more than 30 seconds.

Yesterday I had the chance to get some nice pictures of my latest shawl design.

handspun bamhuey Twister Shawl
Bam Huey Twister.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Bam Huey  Twister is 2 colorways plied together.  This one uses a plying pattern of 1/3 – Wisteria X Wisteria, 1/3 Wisteria X Raspberry Sorbet, and 1/3- Raspberry Sorbet X Raspberry Sorbet.  The pattern should be out on Ravelry a few days before Thanksgiving.  I will be sure to announce it here.

Here are a few more views of the Bam Huey Twister Shawl

back view Bam Huey handspun shawl
Not my backside view of Bam Huey Twister Shawl
Bam Huey handspun shawl
Bam Huey Twister shawl in Wisteria/Raspberry Sorbet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I probably won’t be doing a large stocking of Bam Huey Twister until after Christmas. I do have one skein in blues you can check out here .  I’m always happy to spin up a custom order, just ask:)  Does the yarn store in the pictures look familiar to you?  If it does, you just may know where my Trunk Show will be!

The work on the Just add knitter kits is almost done! The Neck Warmer kit is done and just a  few more tweaks on the mitts pattern and it will be ready to go!  Here is a picture of the test mitts…just one more mitt to finish.

New Hue and Newhouse Just Add Knitter Mitt Kitts
Just Add Knitter Mitt Kits almost done!

The Yarn -A – Long over on Ravelry is starting up, it isn’t to late to join up. Come on over and play!

The next few days will be consumed with dyeing fiber.  I hope to share some dying pictures with you next time along with the details for my Trunk Show!  Mr X’s sweater didn’t get much attention this week, but it should make it’s way back to the top of the knitting pile once the mitt kit is finished.

Until next time,

Happy spinning and Knitting!

Cheryl <^..^>

Ready! Set! GO SPINZILLA!!!

It is now 7 pm Pacific Time as I start to write this post, and that means just 2 hours to SpinZilla !!! SpinZilla is a friendly week long team spinning competition to see which team can spin the most yardage from 12:01 am Monday  October 7th to Midnight  Sunday October 13th.

I am spinning for Team Storey Publishing, and have set myself a goal of spinning 20,000 yards.  I’m still working on getting enough fiber to spin.  So far I have 2 pounds of black BFL wool that needs to be spun into a 2 ply DK weight, 1- 1/2   pounds of Merino Cashmere that I will be spinning into a 2 ply fingering weight, 1/2 pound of Cashmere/Tussah Silk that should make some very nice lace weight yarn.

Spinning Fiber
Spinning Fiber for SpinZilla

This week you can expect to see daily posts of my progress, but right now it is time for me to hang up  the fiber I dyed today,  eat the lovely dinner Will made for me, then it will be time to get settled in to spin.

Wish me luck to meet my goal of 20,000 yards spun!

Happy Spinning,

Cheryl <^..^>

Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival Bound!

Bam Huey Fiber
Bam Huey Fiber Drying for Oregon Flock and Fiber

The past week has been all about getting ready for Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival !   I haven’t had the time to make  plying videos because I have been dyeing up a storm,  putting the finishing touches on a new pattern, and developing the New Hue & Newhouse  “Just add Knitter” Kits.

The truck is packed and I am heading out to set up for Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival!  See you there.

Oregon Flock and Fiber
New Hue Handspuns booth at Oregon Flock and Fiber

Today is also a very special day….. Twenty Seven years ago today this is what I was doing!!!!

Will and Cheryl Newhouse 9/27/86
Will and Cheryl Newhouse 9/27/86

Now off to Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival!!!!!

Hand painting Spinning Fiber

Hand painting  spinning fiber is the second step in making my yarn, and that is what this post is going to be about. BUT first I just have to share with you what has been consuming me this past week, and has made this post a few days later than I planned:)

Brick-a-Brack  neck warmer
Brick-a-Brack neck warmer

I won’t go into details too much, but this is going to be a complete kit with our Newhouse Custom Carbon Fiber Circular Needles,  2 balls of handspun yarn, a stitch marker, the pattern, all in a little carry case……  The New Hue & Newhouse   “Just Add Knitter” kit!   will be making it’s first public appearance at Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival September 28th & 29th.

Now that I have that out of my system, back to the subject at hand!

Dyeing  fiber can be done so many ways and every dyer has their favorite method.  I’ve tried a few different methods and eventually settled down with my favorite combinations.  First  I always start  by hand painting  spinning  fiber.  This gives me my best chance at controlling the colors and their blending.   Better control for me means more consistency when repeating colorways…..other say that I just have a control issue…lol.

Remember those fiber cinnamon rolls the last post?  well here they are rolled out waiting to be hand painted.  People have asked me many times why my packages of Bam Huey Spinning Fiber are of the unusual weight of 3 oz?  Here is the answer….. The length of my dining room table with all the extensions can only hold  the length of 3 oz.  I love that table, and I am not getting rid of it, so 3oz packages of Bam Huey fiber it is!

Bam Huey Fiber rolled out for Hand Painting

Across from Dining/Dying room Table is my little dye studio.  This is where I blend the colors,  first in my mind, then with the dyes.  I’ve enlarged this area, but it is such a mess right now I thought it better to share an older picture with you.

Were the Creations/mess:) Happens
Were the Creations/mess:) Happens

My inspiration for colorways comes from everything around me.  I almost always have my camera with me to snap a picture of colors that catch my eye.  Sky photos are my favorite to work with.  It isn’t about the focus, but the colors.  here is one of my favorites, how many layered shades of blue do you see!!!!

layers of blues
layers of blues

This one is destined to become a New Hue colorway!

Eventually I do get the dye onto the fiber

painted Bam Huey in the Sunflowers colorway

Last step is to wrap and roll up the fiber and steam away.  After a few hours the fruits of my labor are hanging to dry.

Drying Bam Huey Spinning FIber
Drying Bam Huey Spinning FIber

I’ll leave the fiber to drying for now, and when I come back next time it will be time for SPINNING!!!!  I will also give a little peak into what I am prepping  up for Oregon Flock and Fiber.

Until next time,

Happy Spinning….and knitting too!

Cheryl  <^..^>